First-time novelists never fail to deliver some of our favorite stories of the year, tackling bold and timely themes with the boundless momentum of rising literary stars. The latest slate from emerging storytellers dazzles across genres, showcasing the beauty of language through bright and witty banter, tender plot twists, and inventive prose that, at times, has narrators performing literal feats of oral acrobatics. At the end of the day, each of these novels serves as a powerful reminder that storytelling carries on, even when it feels like the world is melting around us.